"Hurrah!
Hurrah! Hurrah!"

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

Directly the crew of the prow discovered the frigate they lowered the
sails, and getting out the oars, began to pull her head round in the
direction of the wind's eye. At that moment, however, the chase had got
close to the frigate.

"She is telling her what sort of gentry we are, and depend upon it she
will be after us directly," said Kiddle.

He was right, apparently, for immediately the frigate's head sails were
seen shivering in the breeze, and slowly coming about, she stood towards
us on the other tack. The other prows discovered her at the same moment
that we did, and were now pulling away as fast as their crews could urge
them through the water. The frigate, as she approached, began firing
from her foremost guns. Had one of her shots struck us between wind and
water, it would have sent us to the bottom. As to the prows escaping,
it seemed scarcely possible. Still the Malays held on, tugging
desperately at their oars. While some of the crew were rowing, the rest
were employed in examining the priming of their muskets and feeling the
edge of their swords, while a low conversation was carried on among
them.

"I do not quite like what they are saying, sir," said Smith to me. "As
far as I can make out, they are vowing to Allah, that if the frigate
comes up with them they will knock us all on the head and blow
themselves up. They are in earnest, I am afraid, for I know their
people have done the same sort of thing before now."

"Tell them," I said, "that as they have treated us so well, that if they
will haul down their colours we will use our influence with the captain
of the ship to have them set at liberty. Tell them we think she is the
ship we belong to, and that if they are wise men they will follow our
advice."

Smith, knowing pretty well that our lives depended upon the way he might
put the matter to the old chief, began to address him slowly. Gradually
he grew more energetic and warm. While he was speaking a shot came
flying close by us, carrying away the greater number of the oars on one
side. Escape now seemed impossible. Again we urged our advice. The
chief seemed unwilling to follow it.

"Ask him if he hasn't got a wife or two and a few young children at home
who would like to see him again," said Brady to Smith. "Tell him at all
events we have, and if he's a wise man that he will live himself and let
us live. Faith, it's a li